Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:

For crust
1 1/3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (from about 26 cookies such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

For filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

For topping
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

Make crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together crumbs, butter, and sugar and press on bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate (1-quart capacity). Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes, and cool on a rack.

Make filling:
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute (filling will be thick).

Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla. Cover surface of filling with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Spoon filling into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

Make topping:
Just before serving, beat cream with sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spoon on top of pie.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

# 1 unbaked pie pastry (9 inches)
# 2/3 cup sugar
# 1/3 cup cornstarch
# 1/4 teaspoon salt
# 3 cups milk
# 3 egg yolks
# 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
# 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
# 1/2 cup flaked coconut
# CHOCOLATE LAYER:
# 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
# 3 tablespoons sugar
# 2 tablespoons milk
# MERINGUE:
# 3 egg whites
# 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
# 6 tablespoons sugar
Or use whipped cream topping instead of meringue

Instructions:

Bake pie pastry. Cool.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Beat egg yolks lightly. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolks; return all to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour 1-1/2 cups mixture into small bowl; add coconut to bowl and set aside.

Combine chocolate layer ingredients; blend into remaining mixture in saucepan. Return to heat; cook and stir until mixture begins to boil. Remove from the heat; spread 1 cup over bottom of pie crust. Top with coconut mixture and finish with remaining chocolate mixture.

For meringue, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing to edges of pie crust. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature; chill several hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups water
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, divided
Lemon juice
1 (8- or 9-inch) prepared graham cracker or baked pie crust
1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream, whipped Instructions: In heavy saucepan, dissolve cornstarch and salt in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Cool slightly. Slice 2 bananas; dip in lemon juice and drain. Arrange on bottom of prepared crust. Pour filling over bananas; cover. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread top with whipped cream. Slice remaining banana; dip in lemon juice, drain and garnish top of pie. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 prebaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie crust
• 1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
  
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 pkg. (about 3.4 oz.) vanilla or banana cream instant
  
• pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 2 medium bananas, sliced, dipped in lemon juice
• Toasted or tinted flaked coconut (optional)

Directions:

Combine sweetened condensed milk and water in
large bowl. Add pudding mix and coconut; mix
well. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream.

Arrange single layer of bananas on bottom of pie
crust. Pour filling into crust. Top with remaining
whipped topping. Refrigerate for 4 hours or
or until well set. Top with coconut.

NOTE: To make 2 pies, divide filling between 2
prebaked 9-inch (2-cup volume each) pie crusts.
Top with remaining whipped topping.